Style Journal: Morning Coffee Service at Sassafras House

I am a big fan of doing the little things that make life objectively nicer.  There are plenty of examples of this habit of mine, but none stands out as much as morning coffee service at Sassafras House.  

Every night, I grind coffee beans and set up the coffee pot for the next morning’s coffee service.  That includes a coffee mug and a pitcher or jug for cream, both set on a pretty table linen next to the coffee pot which is programmed to brew the coffee right before I come downstairs in the morning.  This month’s service is a flag-themed mug set on a chambray linen.  

I change linens and mugs seasonally and over the years I’ve collected linens for every season; many of them are from second-hand stores.  They are always accompanied by a generously-sized mug. I enjoy making my mornings just a little nicer, and this habit does that quite well, making my daily life just a little prettier in the process.  

On Morning Light

I am an early riser and when school is in session I am typically out of the shower and headed downstairs for coffee by 5:45 in the morning.  For much of the school year I spent the start of my day in inky darkness.  But come April, the steady lengthening days ensure light in the early morning and my first cup of coffee is served with a sunrise.  These days are often crammed with busy activities.  The surface of my desk has been long lost to me; my to-do list is ridiculously long.  But each morning, I watch for that first glimpse of the sun and the day feels new.  That’s happy!

Polka Dots

I’ve enjoyed a lifelong love affair with polka dots.  They are cute and cheerful, tidy and matching…..all the things I love in life.  I’ve declared today Polka Dot Day at school and I am wearing my polka dot skirt.  I started the celebration this morning with my polka dot creamer and linen so that even my morning coffee feels cheery.

That’s happy!

On Mornings

I haven’t always been a morning person, but the older I get the more I find mornings to be a lovely part of my day.  In the quiet as the sun rises, I have time to read and think; to write and make plans for my day.  

On school days, I get up at 5:30 am and after my shower, I drink coffee, practice Spanish, catch up on work e-mails, read, and write while I eat breakfast and listen to NPR.  I use the time to make a mental list of the things that must be accomplished or attended to in the day.  That quiet hour sets me up for all that the day will bring.  

On days off, I’ll often get out of bed at 7 am and still be drinking coffee, reading, and writing at 9 or later, when the rest of my family surfaces.  The quiet is time for me to take stock of the passage of time and the pace of our days and weeks.

Morning is lovely no matter the season.  In the late Fall and Winter, I rise in the darkness and watch the sun peak over the horizon as I enjoy my coffee.  In the Spring and Summer, I wake with the sunlight.  If the morning is warm enough, I can steal a few minutes outside.  In the Summer, my early morning wake up permits me the luxury of time outside before the heat of the day has taken hold.  

I enjoy the quiet; the sounds of nature; and my sense that a new day feels fresh.  I like the fact that even the busiest of days can start with time for quiet; a pause before the chaos begins.

Summer on the Front Porch

In late May, I got flowers for the front porch.  JT and T gave them to me along with flower baskets for Mother’s Day.

Indoor plants came outside for the warmth and light of summer.  A cheery red and white tablecloth joined the flowers and my summer flag.

Now that school is out, I will bring my book and coffee and spent a bit of each morning sitting outside among the planet and flowers, listening to the cheerful morning birds and enjoying all that summer has to offer.  Each morning, this habit will set the tenor of my days and remind me to relax and embrace the daylight.

In June, summer feels like endless opportunity.   I intend to soak up every moment of it.

Civilized Mornings

One of my most cherished habits is my morning coffee.  I grind beans the night before and set my coffee pot on a timer so that fresh-brewed coffee awaits me when I come downstairs in the morning.  I get up early each day to allow time for a leisurely cup or two of coffee.  During the school year, I use the time to get started on the day’s work, while I drink coffee and eat my breakfast.

Each evening, I set up the morning’s mug and creamer.  When I come downstairs, things are ready for me and it feels like a treat.  It’s an easily organized treat that makes my morning pleasing.  It helps me to sustain a quiet space at the start of my day.  Between work and JT’s sports seasons, that day may very well last 12 hours.  I feel civilized when I start my day this way.  That’s happy!

Day Off

One of the things I love best is a lazy, long morning.  Though I am an early riser, I am slow to start up.  A little quiet in my morning makes my day happier.   I try to find a few minutes of that solitude every day.   But given the treat of two hours of the morning to myself, I can easily fill the time with cup after cup of coffee, Morning Edition on the radio, time to read a few chapters of a good book, and time to write down some idle thoughts.  These days, such time is typically a luxury beyond measure.

But today we have the day off from school.  I tucked into bed last night glad of the knowledge that the next day would bring time to pause and enjoy the blessing of a lazy, leisurely morning.  Adding to my pleasure is the fact that the day stretches before me blissfully unscheduled.  I plan to run a few errands and tidy up my closet, but otherwise I will enjoy a day off.  We’ve nearly six weeks of very full days between now and the blissful quiet of winter break.  Today I will pause to appreciate my many blessings.

I expect that the day will refuel me for the busy weeks that stretch ahead.  That’s happy!

Morning Light

The time change occurred over the weekend and for a few days it feels like I get to sleep in.  Better than that is the sunlight which now arrives a little earlier in the morning.  This was the sky I saw as I enjoyed my first cup of coffee this morning.    The pink quickly faded to be replaced by sunlight.

It’s a good way to start the week.

Mornings

During the work week, I awaken early, right around 5:30.  I enjoy the quiet stillness of early morning and the early hours ensures me some extra time to get started on my day's to do list.  My coffee maker has a setting that allows me to program the coffee pot to automatically start each day and that feature is a big motivating factor in my mornings.  I hear the coffee pot click on as I step in the shower and by the time I come downstairs, the pot has finished brewing and the house smells like coffee.  When I set up the coffee pot in the evening, I always set out a mug and a creamer from my collection to use the next morning.

It's a small thing, this habit, but it brings me happiness and even on the busiest mornings reminds me to stop and appreciate the many blessings in my world, not the least of which is my morning cup of joe.